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Novak Djokovic moved to within two wins of a historic Calendar Slam by beating Matteo Berrettini 5-7, 6-2, 6-2, 6-3 in the quarterfinals of the 2021 US Open on Wednesday.
Djokovic, for the third match in a row, endured a slow start, allowing Berrettini to build an early lead. But much like on the previous occasions, the Serb came out all guns blazing in the next three sets to end the match as a contest and book his place in the last four - where he will take on Alexander Zverev.
On that note, here are three talking points from Djokovic's win over Berrettini:
#1 Novak Djokovic was sublime on his serve and return in the final three sets of the match
Novak Djokovic was a bit wayward in the opening set, leaking 17 unforced errors to give away the initiative. Matteo Berrettini won a remarkable 40% of the points (20 out of 50) played on the Serb's serve, which ultimately helped him clinch the set 7-5.
But as he always does, Djokovic switched gears instantly to knock the stuffing out of the Italian for the remainder of the match. The Serb dropped a mere three points on his serve in the second set, five in the third and six in the fourth.
Berrettini managed to earn just the solitary break point chance combined in these three sets.
Not only did Novak Djokovic serve exceptionally well, but he also returned like his peak self. In fact, many are calling this his best return performance of the 2021 US Open so far.
Djokovic won 50% of the return points played in the second set and achieved a 53% success rate in the third. In the fourth set the number dipped to 30%, but it proved to be enough to get the better of the Italian.
#2 Novak Djokovic ties Roger Federer's record of reaching all four Slam semifinals in multiple seasons
With his win over Matteo Berrettini, Novak Djokovic has now reached the semifinals of all four Slams this year. This is the fifth time he has achieved this feat, with the other instances occurring in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2015.
The Serb is now tied with Roger Federer in this aspect, who has also managed this feat five times - 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009.
#3 Novak Djokovic now has the joint-highest wins against a top 10 players
Novak Djokovic's win over World No. 8 Matteo Berrettini was his 224th career win against a top 10 opponent. The Serb is now level with Roger Federer, who also has 224 top-10 victories under his belt.
That said, many are arguing that Federer has 223 top-10 wins in his career rather than 224. One of his top 10 wins came against John Isner at the 2018 Laver Cup, which doesn't necessarily match up to tour level wins.
In any case, Novak Djokovic will claim sole and clear ownership of this record if he beats World No. 4 Alexander Zverev in the semifinals.
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